washington — solar power is now the third most popular renewable energy source, behind water and wind, according to a new report by the u.s. energy information administration.

the latest example of its continued growth came on may 9, when the california energy commission voted unanimously to require builders to install solar power systems on all new homes. as the american power grid grapples with aging infrastructure, cybersecurity threats and a reliance on fossil fuels, solar offers homeowners a cheaper and cleaner option, according to supporters of the law.

commissioner andrew mcallister said the “modestly sized” solar systems will be designed based on the needs at each home to reduce the possibility of creating wasted energy. homeowners will be less reliant on the traditional grid, he said, and could further reduce their need by investing in panels with storage capability.

“the emergence of super-smart photovoltaic systems is expected to enable owners to participate in” the renewable energy markets “that will strengthen the ability of the grid to help achieve climate change goals,” mcallister said in an email.

if the homes do produce extra solar energy, it could also be transferred directly to the grid, mcallister explained.

however, john twitty, executive director of the transmission access policy study group, told a house subcommittee on may 10 that merging existing and alternative energy sources is a worthy idea, but difficult to implement.

“making sure it works as it relates to the total grid is one of the challenges today of intermittent resources,” twitty said at the hearing. “wind and solar are wonderful and we’re all trying to figure out ways to harness them properly, but when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine, it’s a real challenge.”

rep. kathy castor, d-fla., took it one step further, stressing the importance of non-transmission alternatives, such as solar-powered microgrids that run completely independently of a larger grid.

like california, florida is increasing its commitment to renewables, completing eight solar projects already this year, according to a separate eia report released this week.

“non-transmission alternatives not only have significant environmental benefits but they can help prevent long-term, area-wide blackouts after natural disasters like we saw in texas and florida and puerto rico this summer,” castor said.

the california law – the first in the u.s. to mandate solar power in building construction – will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the same amount as eliminating 115,000 gas-powered cars, according to the california energy commission.

homeowners will also save money in the long run, mcallister said. the commission estimates that, based on a 30-year mortgage, residents will pay $40 more each month for the panels, but save $80 each month on heating, cooling, and lighting bills.

“these standards help to deliver the clean energy and air that californians want,” mcallister said. “nationwide, renewable energy is on the rise. we expect that trend to continue.”

in 2017, solar power generated 77 million megawatt hours, exceeding biomass power — which involves burning wood, solid waste, and landfill gas — for the first time. hydropower, the most popular renewable, generated 300 million megawatt hours — about four times as much as solar.

to middle class americans, installing solar panels may seem out of their financial range. however, the cost of solar has gone down in recent years. scientific american reports that prices for solar panels have fallen between 5-12% in 2015. this price drop includes everything from hardware to installation. however, the biggest contributor to the price drop was the decline in cost for inverters, which convert direct current (dc) electricity to alternating current (ac) electricity, the electric standard for homes.

however, market factors aren’t the sole contributors in the cost decline. the government has played a significant role in making solar more affordable for american households by subsidizing solar through tax credits. currently, homeowners can receive a tax credit at 30% of the cost of the system. state governments have also set up programs to fund solar installation. new york state for example, allows for a tax credit of up to $5,000. other state policies can include rebates, tax exemptions, and even property tax exemptions!

the price on solar

so how much does it cost to install solar panels on a residential home? just like any home project, prices can differ depending on a variety of factors. the biggest determinant is how many kilo-watts the homeowner wants installed. also,the suppliers and/or installers in different regions can charge varying rates. solar power rocks has a feature on their website that connects customers with trusted solar installers in their area to get a quote on pricing.

the final cost of installation can depend dramatically on what state programs your region offers. however, according to energy sage, the average gross cost found in 2017, prior to tax credits, is $16,800. after tax credits the cost can vary between $10,045 and $13,475.

considering that the price of solar panels is about the cost of a new roof, homeowners may be wary about taking on solar. and while savings vary greatly state by state, there seems to be a common trend: the long term investment can save a homeowner thousands. according to solar to the people, the average savings for homeowners can be upwards of $10,000 over a 20 year period. in some states the savings can be even larger. energy sage calculated that over a 20 year period, homeowners who installed a 5 kilowatt system in texas saved $14,221; maryland saved $20,446; new york saved $28,466; and massachusetts saved $30,243!

an investment in energy security 

why should people wait 20 years for the financial benefit of solar power? choosing to install solar panels does not necessarily mean your home is completely off the grid. many households, decide to use net metering to monitor costs. net metering is a system that sells your generated power back to the utility company during peak periods of production. this allows you to utilize grid electricity when your household isn’t producing enough electricity, like at nighttime. if you live in an area where solar is very efficient, the utility company may even pay you for your extra electricity.

moving forward with new innovation 

the future is looking hopeful for solar power. just this year, tesla announced its newest innovation in solar: the tesla solar roof. tesla has designed roof-shingles that have solar panels built inside them. they look like ordinary roof shingles and are “more than three times stronger than standard roofing tiles” according to tesla. the company is so confident in the durability of their solar roof that they offer a “lifetime of your house” warranty.

tesla also offers their powerwall battery. this battery stores any excess energy produced to be used during nighttime or cloudy periods. in theory, the tesla solar roof could make your home fully self-sufficient.

tesla’s roof doesn’t come without significant costs. forbes indicates that a 70% solar roof from tesla will set a homeowner back by $51,200, before the optional powerwall battery, which will cost an additional $7,000. however the 70% solar roof over 30 years will generate $73,500 in electric, meaning a net profit of $31,200 over that period. it is also important to note that this cost is before all federal, state, and local solar programs are factored in. the 30% tax credit offered by the federal government would show savings of $17,460 on this same purchase.

the solar industry is making its way into becoming a fierce competitor in the energy sector. with assistance from the government, solar is starting to catch up with more traditional sources of energy. innovations like the tesla solar roof may be out of reach for most middle class families, however this is just the start of a revolutionary industry. as more competitors enter the market, we will continue to see a sharp decline in the cost of solar. it doesn’t seem so far-fetched to imagine solar roof tiles as standard for new homes in the near future. 

according to the institute for energy research, a 2015 study showed that roughly 10% of the total u.s. energy supply comes from renewable sources. many cities already have plans to convert to 100% renewables in the near future — and four cities already have been successful in doing so.

why make the switch? with climate central reporting that the 10 hottest years globally, all of which have occurred since 1998, we have reached a pivotal moment in history. it’s becoming more and more obvious that human activities have caused a dramatic change in the global climate. some of the damage already may be done but it is up to our generation to put us on a better path. and luckily, we are starting to see these changes happen here in the u.s.

greensburg, kansas

the first u.s. city to reach 100% clean energy was greensburg, kansas. however, it took a traumatic incident in order for this city to evolve. with a population of only 771 people, according to the u.s. census bureau, greensburg is as small-town-america as it gets. the name may sound familiar because in 2007 the town was hit by a major tornado, which destroyed 95% of the town and resulted in 11 deaths.

during reconstruction, the city council decided that the entire town would be run on green-energy, adopting the motto: “rebuilding…stronger. better. greener.” as of 2013, the city’s energy comes from a 12.5 megawatt wind facility.

the story of greensburg is somewhat symbolic. it paints a picture of what the future holds if humans around the world continue down a path of environmental exploitation. with the disappearance of the polar ice caps and destruction of the world’s coral reefs, humans have no choice now but to evolve.

aspen, colorado

another small city that has reached 100% clean energy comes as no surprise: aspen, colorado. as a ski resort town, aspen’s entire economic success rides on the environment. aspen’s utilities and environmental initiatives director david hornbacher said, “…we are powered by the forces of nature, predominantly water and wind with a touch of solar and landfill gas.”

the aspen times reports that prior to the switch to clean energy, the town already was running on 75% to 80% renewable energy.

burlington, vermont

burlington, vermont — a city of more than 42,000 — also has achieved 100% renewable energy. according to the boston globe, the burlington electric department had purchased a hydroelectric plant on the winooski river. the burlington electric department with the washington electric cooperative collectively now supply the city with 100% renewable sources.

the manager for burlington electric, ken dolan, said, “the transition in thought from 2004 to 2008 was ‘we want to do this’ to ‘this actually makes economic sense for us to do this.’”

the boston globe also reports vermont is on a statewide mission to push for 90% renewable energy for electric, heating, and transportation by 2050.

georgetown, texas

looking toward texas, it would seem very unlikely that this oil-rich state would harbor one of the largest cities to reach 100% renewable energy, however georgetown, home to some 67,000, has done just that.

a city that lies about 30 miles north of austin, decided to make the switch after their power contract was up in 2012, according to ari shapiro from npr. shapiro reported city managers came to realize that wind and solar energy are much more predictable in prices, compared to that of oil and gas.

surprisingly, the switch to renewables was due in part to rick perry, who implemented changes to texas’ electrical grid, allowing georgetown to receive its energy from wind farms in west texas.

georgetown mayor dale ross said in the npr interview, “it’s a great economic development tool because there’s a lot of high-quality companies in this country that have robust green energy policies.”

so while the switch to renewables was motivated by economic factors, georgetown demonstrates that renewable energy can be a better economic decision than fossil fuel sources.

the switch to renewable energy is not an easy one. each u.s. city has its own unique circumstances and there is not one set path in seeking green sustainability. greensburg, aspen, burlington, and georgetown have showed us that the switch is not impossible, and in some cases it’s even beneficial for the town’s economy.

according to business insider, san diego, san francisco, and san jose in california; rochester, minnesota; grand rapids, michigan; and east hampton, new york, all have adopted plans to make the switch to 100% renewable energy within the next 20 years. what all these cities have in common is that the push to go green is local. while the federal government may not be passing renewable energy legislation anytime soon, citizens can motivate their local governments to begin the switch themselves.

to coordinate a collective international effort to reduce emissions, the climate and clean air coalition to reduce short lived climate pollutants (ccac) was launched in february 2012 by unep and the governments of bangladesh, canada, ghana, mexico, sweden and the united states. twenty-one additional countries and 22 additional non-state partners have since joined the coalition, and the g8 has pledged its support. the ccac seeks to improve scientific understanding, promote best practices, and enhance and develop emissions reduction strategies at the national and regional levels (learn more at www.unep.org/ccac).

renewable electricity generation has grown 62 percent since 2001, and in 2011 represented 12.7 percent of total u.s. electricity generation. furthermore, 12,956 megawatts of renewable energy capacity was installed in 2012, accounting for 49.1 percent of all new electrical generating capacity in the united states. the briefing provided an overview of renewable energy technologies, domestic and international deployment trends, and exciting market and economic conditions.

as experts in assessing, quantifying and transferring risk, the insurance industry is a natural partner for the federal government as it looks to manage extreme weather vulnerability. the briefing included the industry’s response to the growing number of very costly climate-related disasters and considered how public-private collaboration can help manage risk and guide policy to promote long-term resiliency.

the briefing coincided with the release of a new report, the potential rate effects of wind energy and transmission in the midwest iso region, commissioned by the energy future coalition and produced by synapse energy economics, which concludes that adding more wind power to the midwest’s grid would place downward pressure on energy market prices and rates, even after factoring in the costs of the additional transmission needed to connect it. traditional power plants face fuel prices that fluctuate dramatically over time and they must also address regulatory uncertainty and pollution control upgrades, whereas, for example, solar, wind, and geothermal power plants are not subject to such fuel price volatility. what mix of renewable resources and traditional resources is actually the most reliable and cost effective system to meet our energy needs and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?